Mysterious Girl
by Adeline Faery
Summary: Mikan Sakura didn't know anything of the world outside other than her family and her jobs. But that all changes when a stranger from a famous school wants her to enroll. For the first time away from home she can remember, just what will happen? Enjoy! NxM ON HIATUS
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Once upon a time, a town was engulfed in a field of vivid red embers There several columns of thick black smoke rose into the air. Residents were scattering everywhere like rats whose homes had been discovered, running in every which direction crying and screaming for help. None came, whatsoever, for everyone was already busy worrying about their own safety. Buildings were turned to ashes before their very eyes. So intense was this fire! On the outskirts of town, two small figures looked back sorrowfully before climbing into the backseats of a big expensive black car. And while all this went on, far far away, a man sitting in an armchair chuckled softly to himself.

"Children should learn to obey authorities."

---End---


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1-I'm Leaving?**

**Rrriiiiinnngggg! Rrriiiiinnngggg! WAKE UP! IT'S ALREADY **Click... A young girl wearily yawned and looked at her alarm clock. 6:00, it read. _It's so like __**her**__ to get me a clock that yells_, she thought. She quickly got out of bed, got dressed and headed for the kitchen.

"Mikan, you don't have to go to work today."

"Wh…What do you mean, Mom?" the girl named Mikan stuttered out.

_Something is definitely suspicious. _The family was definitely poor and desperately needed money, which is why Mikan was at a loss for words for a moment. _To think that mom is actually telling me not to work is just too much. It's the exact opposite of what she has always said. _

"There's a man here to see you," her mother said, interrupting Mikan's thoughts. Mikan noticed that there was indeed a man. He was completely out of place, wearing a suit and a tie in such a poor, run down area.

Mikan and her mom lived in a small house with only four rooms, their bedrooms, a kitchen, and a tiny bathroom. The kitchen consisted of only one stove, a small rickety table, and three chairs, just enough for the three of them. The bedrooms held even less: one bed and some boxes. The bathroom had only a toilet with a cracked lid, and a shower stall. In one corner, mold was growing despite all her hard efforts to rid it.

" Why…?" Mikan broke off in confusion. She certainly had never seen him before, and she was sure that this was no acquaintance of her mom.

" He's Tamaki, one of the guards of Alice Academy. He told me that he wants you to go to Alice Academy."

Her mom went on excitingly," I'm sure you know just how great it is." Here her mom paused to gather her breath. _You would almost that think that __she__ was the one being sent. Mom is talking like a student just out of high school with a letter of acceptance from her top choice._

"It is The Most Prestigious School in the world. It has been ensured that almost anyone who graduates is guaranteed a well paying job. You will be provided with free luxurious room and food! I'm sorry, Mikan, that I didn't ask your opinion. I really am sorry, but it's not very often that such a good opportunity turns up, so I've already agreed," her mother explained. Despite being poor, both of them were surprisingly well- read and intelligent.

"But, but! Who'll work after I'm gone! Mom, you can't work when you're already in poor health, and Alita is too young."

"Mikan, what a good girl you are!" Her mom beamed at her. Mikan had been standing near the edge of a cliff, but now she was falling into a dark pit, doomed to never climb out. _You mean in exchange. Mom always had a way of talking that made whatever excuses you could have impossible. This is one of those times. _Her mother went on, oblivious to her daughter's thoughts and feelings.

"To put you at ease, the government will give us money so your sister and I will both be living comfortably. As long as you are at Alice Academy, the government will provide anything we need."

"You know that you can't support much longer, especially now that Alita is eating so much more. Please do this for us," she added on with just a hint of desperation.

"Yes, Mother," Mikan said with her head bowed.

There was nothing left she could say. Besides it was no use arguing when Mom gives a speech. Everything she said had been true, but Mikan couldn't help feel that her mom had just traded her away for money. _No! No! Mom is doing it for our sakes. I will be going to a school most people can only dream of, yet here I am complaining. Mom must have pulled quite a few strings to get the school administration to notice me._ Little did she know that her mother had not done anything. Nor did she know that the man hadn't told her that Alice Academy was more than a school or that some people never came out.

---End---


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2-Encounter**

Four small children sat together on a meadow, laughing and playing merrily. Daffodils danced in the passing breeze. A cloud passed overhead, casting a shadow on the field below, but only for a brief moment.

"I'm leaving tomorrow," a three year old Mikan announced abruptly.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner," a dark haired boy said accusingly.

"Because I didn't want you guys to worry about it. Besides you'll act all sour, like you're doing now," she replied with her tiny hands on her hips.

"Let's all promise to meet each other again," another girl quipped.

"I promise," a blond haired guy quickly said to prevent arguing.

"I promise."

"I promise."

"Whatever," the dark haired boy said offhandedly.

"Onii-chan!" The proposer of the idea pouted.

"Okay. Okay. I promise. Can't take a little joke?" He smirked.

---O---

Mikan, Mikan, Mikan! She quickly sat up, a bit too quickly that she was rewarded with a bump to her head. She had forgotten she was in a car, a limo to be exact.

_What a strange dream! Who were those other three… _Her thoughts were suddenly forgotten as she caught sight of Alice Academy.

Mikan didn't want to give an impression of an idiotic kid who acted surprised at a little glamour, but she heard herself gasp and utter the words, "WOW! It's such an amazing place."

Alice Academy was a mansion or rather a castle to be more precise. It came complete with iron gates laced with flowers and towers that seemed to touch the sky. Alice Academy was printed in large fancy letters with decorative designs for all to see, as if boasting to the world. The land surrounding the school lasted for miles and miles without end. It truly was a sight to behold.

What really caught Mikan's vibrant eyes was the swan fountain.

A single swan stood on a pedestal. Her neck was outstretched, the wings outspread just reaching for the sky.

Its eyes looked strangely alive with a look of determination fixed upon her visage.

She had an air of elegance and gracefulness, yet at the same time purity and innocence. The swan was delicate but fierce. _Emerald, that's what I'll name her. _However, as Mikan was soon to discover, many things served more than just the purpose of being ornamental or even educational for the matter. Mikan was by now out of the car and gazing at the behemoth building.

"Yokoso," a man with curly blond hair greeted, "you must be the infamous transfer student, Mikan Sakura." She glanced at him warily. Perceiving her look, he smiled.

"How silly of me. Let me introduce myself. I'm your new homeroom teacher, Naru-" BANG! They both turned to see a boy with raven colored hair dropping from the sky. He hit the ground hard, bloodying his knees. Mikan immediately ran over to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently with worry etched over her face, holding out a hand. A brief look of confusion flitted across his face.

"Careful, Mikan, he's danger…" Too late. The boy had already taken her hand and was pulling himself up. His other hand was holding something that looked suspiciously like fire. He yanked his hand away and pushed her away with his other hand in one fluid motion.

Mikan was stunned but only for a moment. She instinctually grabbed his hand as he was turning away.

After taking care of Alita, who often tended to be impulsive, she had developed a reflex to hold on to her.

And right then, the boy had been emitting the same aura as her younger sister's. Then Mikan turned to look at herself expecting to see her clothes to catch on fire after seizing his hand.

So it had only been an illusion, Mikan reflected after realizing that neither she nor her clothes had been in the least bit burned.

---End---


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Mikan Sakura sat on the far end of a beige couch patiently waiting for her homeroom teacher, Narumi-sensei( he'd told her after The Incident) to get her schedule or for that boy to wake up, whichever came first.

Her first instinct had been to watch him, but decided against it. She had learned from previous experiences that people tend to find it startling, if not annoying or irritating, to awaken with a person's face hovering just inches away, let alone a stranger.

There was also the chance that he might do something "strange" like the teacher had warned.

~Flashback starts~

"Here, it's yours." Narumi-sensei handed her a miniature book the size of her hand. ALICE ACADEMY was engraved in small, gold, ornate letters on the center of the cover and along the binding. It was bound in a soft, velvety material laced with fancy, intricate designs in silver. In a tiny font, Mikan Sakura was inscribed on the bottom right-hand corner in black like the rest of the cover.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, "Are you sure it's really mine?'

"Of course, you need a beautiful book to match your beauty." Mikan traced the letters of her name as if she was seeing her name in print for the first time.

Suddenly, the book underwent a transformation. The original black faded and became replaced by a soft blue, the binding a royal purple, her name a subtle orange, and lastly, a miniature Sakura(cherry blossoms) tree popped up just above her name. Only the words, Alice Academy, and the designs remained unchanged. Mikan's eyes widened in amazement as all this took place.

"Amazing, isn't it! May I see it." Mikan handed it to him. "

Great tastes, I must say," he complimented.

Then seeing her confused look, he went on to explain.

"We don't know what suits each student. Plus getting new arrivals to fill out a form to get their personalized books and making each one is just too much work (A/N: for him, he means). So the Student Council decided to make these specialized books to respond to the owner's tastes upon touch. Every student has one of these, and each and every one is unique. Any questions you have along with general info are all in there. It has other stuff, but let's get you settled first. "

He gave it back as he started rummaging through the piles of paper on his desk.

"If I'll just find your schedule, you'll be all set."

"Now, where did I put it?" he muttered to himself running his hand through his hair. _This person is a teacher? I wonder how he even got a job here. _

"Maybe I left it in my office. Mikan, wait here. I'll be back in a few minutes," he told her as he headed out the door. A few seconds later, he poked his head back in.

"Oh, and be sure to pull that alarm if he (the boy, Natsume) wakes up and does anything strange," Narumi-sensei added. "Though you probably have nothing to worry about." Mikan glanced around until her brown (I have to find a better word later) eyes rested on a large, red button the size of her hand.

~Flashback Ends~

Mikan rested her chin onto her hand. She had been pondering for a while now on a suitable name for her book. _I've got it! _She sat up suddenly. _Its name will be Nakim Arukas. I'll call it Naka for short. It's the reverse spelling of my full name. What is the word for it, again? _

"Metaphor? No, that's a way of describing something by comparing two things. Idiom? No, that's an expression not meant to be taken literally. Hyperbole? No, that's an exaggeration. Pseudonym? No, that's a fake name usually used by an author as a pen name." _None of these are it. I think I recall it started with the letter A. _

"Alliteration? That's wrong, too! That's when you use the same sounds at the beginning of words. Hmm. Analogy? That's not it, either. That's for comparing something that is similar in certain circumstances. Acronym? No, that's not right. That's a word made from the first letter of a group of words. Now what was the word for when you swap letters?"

---End---


	5. Chapter 4

(A/N): This one came out later than I expected. Technically I shouldn't even be doing this, but **She **doesn't need to know. Well, anyways, here's chapter four. One more thing, I'm kinda new to all of this, and it's my first time writing a story. If I do anything wrong or have any suggestions, just tell me. =) If you're bored or just waiting for a new chapter to come out, check out my profile. My friend and I piled alot of interesting things we found on the internet.

Sadly, I don't own Gauken Alice. Enjoy! Please review.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Meanwhile, Natsume had woken up to hear the girl muttering to herself. He briefly recalled how she'd stopped him from escaping this prison they call a school. _And my fire was extinguished the moment she grabbed me. _He caused a tiny flame to hover just over his index finger. So _there's nothing wrong with me. That girl, just who is she? _

Natsume laid on the couch as he inspected the girl. She has pale skin compared to the other girls. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. She was wearing a long pale blue shirt that hung loosely upon her small body and a black skirt .

So she's the new transfer student._ Judging from her clothes, she's not very rich is she? Her parents must have sent her away for money then. _Alliteration…Acronym.. Word for… swapping letters?_ What is she muttering to herself about? Another idiot has arrived. Well, at least, her face isn't as bad as some the other girls here, but she's still the same as the rest of her race. Clingy and annoying. _

"Anagram," a soft voice said into her left ear, both startling and tickling her. Mikan swung her elbow to where the voice had been while she quickly pivoted to land a full house kick on whoever was behind her. However, both her foot and hand hit nothing but air.

"Oh, it's only you," she signed in relief after she spied the boy a few feet away. "It's a good thing you were able to move away so quickly. I can only imagine what the school administrators would say if they found you still unconscious on the floor, just because I acted without thinking. Anyway, nice to finally meet you, Natsume-kun. My name's Mikan, Mikan Sakura."

Mikan noticed a flash of displeasure across his visage. After working in a job where poor people were often looked down on, she had quickly learned to read people's faces. Right now, he looked angry and annoyed. _I guess I talked too much, and there was that incident when I got him into trouble._

Mikan bowed her head and said, "Sorry and thanks," before sitting back down. She started reading Naka, giving him the chance to collect himself to say whatever he wanted to say or to ignore her.

_Someone walks up and scares her, and her natural instinct is to hit him? There wasn't the slightest hesitation in her movements. She even manages to catch me off guard three times in a row. This girl, just who is she? That reaction wasn't normal. Most girls squeal, scream, or jump up. This girl did not look the least startled. What's more is that her moves were executed perfectly, something that can't be accomplished without practice even if you were a natural. Now this is getting interesting. _

"So, what's your trick?" said the boy.

He was leaning against the couch where he had been unconscious only moments earlier.

On his ears, he wore dark red earring that emphasized his vivid red eyes. He was wearing a navy white shirt with a small pocket on his right breast and dark pants_. I guess school uniforms are required here. He certainly doesn't look like the type to willingly wear one., although they looked pretty good on him. _In fact, he would look good in anything. Instead of wearing a tie as expected, he had left the collar open exposing perfect skin. _I hope the school provides them. After all, GA was sewn on the pocket with gold thread. Mom didn't tell me about having to buy an uniform, so I didn't buy any. _She tuned her attention to what Natsume was saying.

_Sheesh! Doesn't he know about personal space? I didn't even notice him moving. _She had turned to see his face just inches away from hers. Mikan tried to back up, but it was futile since she was already sitting at the edge. Furthermore, she also found herself unable to glance away from his crimson eyes. Such a rare and beautiful color yet it sent a chill down her spine. _For some reason, it seems familiar, but I'm sure I would remember if I met anyone with eyes like those. _

"Well?" his now slightly annoyed voice squeezed between her thoughts.

He had leaned back just a little with his hand stuffed into his pockets, his foot tapping impatiently. Normally, she wouldn't have minded, but she yearned to wipe that smirk of his face. She had often to put up with this during work due to her poorness, but only because she needed the job. Here, though, was another matter, and she was not to be insulted especially by another student.

"If you're talking about what tricks I pulled to get into this school, that's none of your business. You have no right to accuse me." She noticed the boy looking at her in disbelief_. I guess I was a bit too quick to judge. That's not what he meant, huh. _

"If you're talking about magic tricks like the one you were doing, then no." Mikan heard the boy's exasperated sigh.

"Sorry to disappoint your "high expectations," she remarked sarcastically. "Now, can you please back up a little more?" Something about that boy just irks her: the way he was able to creep up on her like that had never been happened before, and there was that arrogant way he held himself as if he had the power to control the world.

"If YOU really want me too, Miss Polka," his mouth grazed against her most sensitive spot, her ear, "but I hope you don't regret it," he whispered as he took a step back.

Mikan's hand automatically whipped out, catching him by the collar and was readying a blow to his stomach when she suddenly let her hand fall. _I really dislike how his voice seems to evoke such strong emotions of irritation and anger as well as causing __**my **__hand to move as it had a mind of its own. _

"I would be much obliged if you do, Mr. Pervert-san," Mikan retorted fiercely_. Just when did I let him a glimpse of my undergarments?_ An image of her giving him a kick flashed through her head_. Ah, that would certainly explain it. _Mikan then tilted her head like a bird trying to catch a sound from far away. "You should hide; someone who sounds really angry is coming to this room," she whispered softly. With that said, she quickly crouched behind the large couch. He could choose to believe her or not, but she definitely would not want to get involved.

"Angry?" Natsume smirked at her statement. "I don't hear anything. Are you sure your ears don't have problems with that fashion sense of yours?" he replied cockily. Nevertheless, he followed suit. Just to clear things up, it wasn't that he couldn't deal with it, but rather it was just too much of a bother. Sure enough one minute later, Natsume too heard the loud thundering footsteps and like she had predicted, heading their way.

A few minutes later, the door was flung open, causing a loud bang.

"Narumi, show yourself," a loud voice bellowed out.

It appears that it was an extremely good thing that they had hid. After surveying the room and seeing his target nowhere to be found, the intruder slammed the door shut. Mikan and Natsume remained immobile. They hadn't heard footsteps leading away, meaning the man was still out there waiting for Mr. Narumi to show up. And just as they anticipated, the man poked his head back in. Finally satisfied that Mr. Narumi was truly elsewhere, the man left.

Meanwhile, behind the couch, Mikan let her hand fall from her heart and breathed in relief. Sometime ago in her childhood, she had developed a habit to place her hand over her heart for comfort. _Thank God that he didn't bother looking behind here. Not that I'll be in any trouble but questions would have been asked. Natsume, on the other hand, looks as if he's used to this kind of thing. I wonder if the teachers do this often…Nah. It's not possible, but just what kind of school is this really? _

---End---

* * *

I'm just going to put random notes down here. I have a sudden craving for mint chocolate ship for no reason. Imagines Natsume eating it.

**Natsume**: You can't have mine.

**Me**: looks at him with a pleading face

**Natsume**: Ask Polka over there

**Me**: But I don't want vanilla ice cream right now.

**Natsume**: Too BAd

**Me**: How could you be so mean?

**Natsume**: Well, you're the author here. It's the way you're imagining it.

**Me**: Hmppff stomps and walk away -blows raspberries- Goodbye


End file.
